In August 2015, the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian Khachapuri reached 3.49GEL, which is 11.4% higher month-on-month (compared to July 2015), and 7% higher year-on-year (compared to August 2014). Two factors combined in August to push the Khachapuri index upwards. On the one hand, the Index is up due to a seasonal decline in the supply of cheese – the main (and most expensive) khachapuri ingredient.
In June of 2015, the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian Khachapuri fell to 2.85GEL, which is 1% lower month-on-month (compared to May 2015), and 0.8% higher year-on-year (compared to June 2014).
June is the time of the year when the Khachapuri Index reaches the lowest point in its annual cycle. The supply of fresh milk a key input in the production of Imeretian cheese reaches its seasonal peak a few months earlier, in March and April. The prices of cheese, while declining in a continuous fashion from January onward, bottom out with a lag of two-three months, by June or July.
The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian Khachapuri in May 2015 stood at 2.88 GEL, which is 2.7% lower month-on-month (i.e. compared to April 2015). The Khachapuri Index is actually up by 1% year-on-year (compared to May 2014), suggesting a slight uptick in annual inflation, at least as far khachapuri ingredients are concerned.
In May 2015, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri reached 2.88 GEL - a 2.7% decrease month-on-month (compared to April 2015). In annual terms (compared to May 2014), however, the index added 1%.